1. Summary Council to consider the reappointment of Political Assistants to the Conservative and Labour Groups on the Council.

2. Recommendations That posts of Political Assistant be re-established under the terms of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 with effect from this Annual Council until the Annual Council in 2015 or such earlier date as the Council may later determine, and allocated to the Conservative and Labour Groups.

3. Report Background 3.1 The Local Government Act 1989 governs the appointment of political assistants to provide assistance to political groups represented on the Council. The posts are established within the framework of the Act so that where the members of the Council are divided into different political groups, a political group shall qualify for a political assistant if:-

- The membership of that group comprises at least one-tenth of the membership of the Council;
- The number of other larger groups does not exceed two; and
- Where the number of the other groups which are of the same size or larger than that group exceed two, the Council has determined that group should be the one to which a post of political assistant should be allocated.

3.2 Political Assistants must be appointed on a fixed term contract extending no further than just beyond the next Council elections: each group may only have one post and there may be no more than three in total. Regulation 18 of the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990 (as amended) provide that where an appointment is made under Section 9 of the 1989 Act the allocations should be reviewed from time to time.

3.3 The legislation prohibits the making of an appointment until the Council has allocated a post of political assistant to each group that qualifies for one. The appointment of political assistants must be in accordance with the wishes of the political group to whom the post has been allocated. The appointment process must be conducted in accordance with the Council’s procedures and statutory requirements.

3.4 Under the legislation the Conservative and Labour Groups qualify for a Political Assistant each and if the Council agrees to the recommendation to have Political Assistants then two posts must be agreed, to be allocated each to one of these Groups.

4. Implications (including financial implications) 4.1 Resources and Risk None.

4.2 Legal Contained in the body of the report.

4.3 Other Implications None.

5. Background Papers None.

Report Author and Title: F. McGown, Democratic Services Manager Telephone and Email: 01604 837101 fmcgown@northampton.gov.uk

October 2007